1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to digital circuits, and more specifically, to high speed shifter circuits for digital applications.
2. Background
Digital systems are used extensively today in almost every electronic application. These digital systems may be thought of as switching networks constructed with an array of combinational and/or sequential circuits. One type of sequential circuit that is commonplace in digital systems is the shift register. The shift register is generally constructed from a serial arrangement of storage elements and can shift binary information in one or both directions.
Many digital applications require nothing more than a simple shift register that is capable of shifting the input one bit at a time. However, in some applications, it is desirable to shift the input an arbitrary number of bits in a single operation. For these applications, combinational circuits have be used in place of the traditional shift register. These combinational circuits include logarithmic and barrel shifters, which tend to be slow, require an immense amount of hardware, and consume an inordinate amount of power.
Accordingly, there is need for a shifter circuit that can shift binary information by any number of bits in single operation. The shifter circuit should be relatively fast with less hardware and reduced power consumption than traditional barrel and logarithmic shifters.